Chapter 3

Sophia’s smile froze instantly. She jerked her head up and stared at me. For the first time, a flicker of genuine panic flashed in her eyes. “W-What did you just say?”

I ignored her. Leaning back against the couch, I quietly listened as the cactus in the corner continued spilling secrets. What the plants revealed next was the most chilling thing I had heard all day.

“Doc, do you remember last October?” asked the cactus. Its voice was unusually sympathetic. "The night you almost died?”

How could I forget? Last October, I contracted severe malaria at a medical camp in Afrikad. My fever soared past 104 degrees. Cold sweat drenched my body, and my organs were beginning to show signs of failure.

In the middle of the night, with my consciousness fading, I was certain I was running out of time. I used the camp’s only working satellite phone to call Justin. It was a cry for help and what I believed might be my final goodbye.

The phone rang for a long time before he answered. When he finally picked up, his voice was impatient. He sounded almost irritated at being disturbed.

“It's the middle of the night! I've got two surgeries tomorrow. I’m exhausted. Whatever it is, tell me tomorrow.”

Using every ounce of strength I had left, I whispered into the phone, “Justin, I don't think I'm going to make it…”

“Enough with the paranoia. Afrikad isn’t that dangerous. I’m busy. We’ll talk later.”

The dead tone echoed in my ear.

Alone in a hospital bed thousands of miles from home, I listened to that cold, indifferent sound and closed my eyes in despair.

If a local boy had not run for miles through the night to bring back the medication I needed, I would have become a box of ashes left forever on that red Afrikad soil.

The pothos shook its leaves furiously and blurted out the truth. “He wasn’t preparing for surgery that night at all! He was at a dealership picking up a car with this woman! Right after hanging up on you, he withdrew all 600,000 dollars from the investment account under his name and paid for the BMW in cash for her!”

The spider plant immediately chimed in, “That’s right! She even complained that your call ruined her mood, and Justin blocked your number for three whole days! And he told her that since you couldn’t spend the money in Afrikad anyway, they might as well use it to build a better life for their little family!”

My chest tightened so violently that I could barely breathe. I had risked my life every day in Afrikad, saving strangers while dancing on the edge of death.

While I was begging for help, he was using my hard-earned money to buy a luxury car for his mistress.

Six hundred thousand dollars. Every cent of it was savings I accumulated during the first five years of my career. I had put that money in his care out of a wife’s unconditional trust in her husband.

He had taken that trust, crushed it beneath his feet, and traded it for another woman’s smile.

I lowered my head and drew in a slow breath, forcing back the tears and the burning rage threatening to spill over.

When I looked up again, my gaze settled on Sophia, who was still rambling nervously in an attempt to hide her panic. A cold smile curved across my lips.

My comment about 'another man’s child' had clearly rattled her.

However, she had quickly convinced herself that I had only just returned from overseas and could not possibly know any real secrets. She thought I was bluffing.

“Mother, you’re quite the joker,” Sophia replied with a strained laugh. “The baby is Justin's pride and joy. He looks exactly like his father.”

She stepped closer and held the child out slightly, as though that alone could prove her confidence.

I glanced at the baby, who had a flat nose and tiny eyes. Not a single feature resembled Justin’s sharply defined face.

“Really?” I let out a cold laugh. “In that case, when that important guest arrives, I’ll have to take a good look and see who this child actually resembles.”

The color drained from Sophia’s face. At last, she realized I was not some gullible country bumpkin she could manipulate. She opened her mouth to say something. Just then, the sound of a key turning came from the front door.

The door swung open.

“Honey, I bought your favorite crabs. Let’s make a few extra dishes since your cousin’s coming over today…”

Justin walked in carrying several grocery bags, chirping as he kicked off his shoes. His voice was relaxed and warm. He was the perfect image of a devoted family man.

Then, he looked up. His gaze traveled past the entryway and landed on me sitting in the living room. The smile vanished from his face. Time seemed to stop at this moment. One of the bags slipped from his fingers and hit the floor.

Several live crabs crawled out through the torn plastic and scattered across the hardwood.

“M-Megan?!”